American Doctor Review: An Unbiased Examination of the Genocide Funded by Your Tax Dollars

      Note: This review was initially published as part of our 2026 Sundance coverage. The film is set to be released on August 14.

      When will this end? When will this violence cease? And when will the United States stop endorsing it? Filmmaker Poh Si Teng provides a clear, unflinching examination of the genocide in Gaza through her documentary American Doctor. It follows three physicians—Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, Dr. Thaer Ahmad, and Dr. Mark Perlmutter—who tirelessly strive to save lives in the Gaza Strip. On some occasions, they receive approval to enter; on others, they are denied for dubious reasons. Dr. Perlmutter is Jewish, Dr. Sidhwa is Zoroastrian, and Dr. Ahmad is Palestinian. Their objective is the same as that of all medical professionals: to heal as many individuals as possible.

      The film begins with a distressing image. Dr. Perlmutter shows Poh Si Teng a photo on his phone that she plans to blur for the final edit of the film. He adamantly insists that she displays the photo without blurring, stating, “That’s what my tax dollars did… that’s what your tax dollars did.” The image depicts six murdered Palestinian children, positioned in a row. Over the course of the 90-minute film, we witness numerous children suffering from various degrees of physical and psychological anguish and trauma. It’s relentless, brutal, and real. Dr. Perlmutter frequently expresses his anger about these circumstances, while Dr. Sidhwa and Dr. Ahmad strive to remain composed, even when addressing the detached, Western media.

      American Doctor is, at times, uplifting. The fact that these doctors continue to risk their lives to help those in need is truly remarkable. However, the hospitals in which they work are repeatedly bombed by the Israel Defense Forces, leading to an ever-increasing number of casualties. Ultimately, the situation is extremely disheartening. Watching American Doctor can drive one to madness, especially when confronted with the reality that many people might view the same footage and convince themselves that these deaths are merely collateral damage in war. End-credit text informs us that over 1,700 healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023.

      The doctors take a largely futile trip to Washington, where they engage with senators and their aides, who respond with rehearsed clichés and evident indifference. There are clips of President Trump alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that are predictably disturbing and cold-hearted. At one point, Dr. Sidhwa acknowledges his inability to control Israel’s actions but states, “as an American, I just don’t want my government involved in crimes.” This is precisely the point that needs reiteration. We are funding this. These doctors are striving to enter Gaza to save the children that we are complicit in slaughtering.

      The film’s unflinching aesthetic is profoundly effective. The vérité style unveils moments of raw honesty, such as a healthcare worker angrily confronting our cameraman for filming during an operation and a fellow physician sharing with Dr. Perlmutter the heartbreaking story of how his own infant child recently died (he struggles to speak at one point). We observe the Nasser Medical Complex not once, but twice—the first time with Dr. Sidhwa present. American Doctor is difficult to watch, and it ought to be. It’s challenging to exist in a world where such events occur. Where we allow such things to continue happening.

      American Doctor premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.